Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/206

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200
F. G. Young.
200

200 DR. JOHN SCOULER. who had heard the report of our gun on the preceding day, arrived this evening & behaved as usual in the most peac[e]able manner. 17th. These poor people continue to supply us with abundance of fish & berries & to accept with gratitude anything we please to give them. Our confidence in them was so great that we resolved to venture ashore. At the place where we landed a number of children who had been amusing themselves scampered of[f] in great alarm. As soon as I got ashore my attention was occupied with some interesting plants which grew on the beach ; among these plants was a Solidago & a beautifull specimen of Artemisia, but what pleased me most was the vast profu- sion of Myosotis Hookeri. In an extensive saline marsh I found a gp. of Salicornia & a fine Arenaria. During my herborising the Indians watched my motions with con- siderable curiosity, but what surprised them most was the captain's sextant, & enquired what was to be seen in the sun. They believed it to be some powerful medical charm by which we ascertained whether the Indians beyond them had many skins to dispose of or not. 18th. In the afternoon we proceeded farther up the Gulph of Georgia & about 12 miles from the Lummie vil- lage we found another people, called the Saugtch Indians. These Indians sold us a few skins & behaved very peac[e]- ably. Their village is situated very near the shore, at the bottom of a white cliff. Many of the houses were taken down & they appeared to be occupied in removing to their winter quarters. One of the Indians had a small porpoise, on which I made some observations. It was very young, as the teeth were not very evident. The tongue fleshy, a margin like a duck's, oesophagus narrow, stomach very small, & the intestines were of a very small diameter, but their convolutions were very numerous. Rectum about